Fruit-grading machine.



Patented Apr. 23, l90l.

8. MGGARVIN. FRUIT GRADING MACHINE.

(Application filed may 8, 1900.) V

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Patented Apr. 23; l90l.

. s. McGARVIN.

FRUIT GRADING MACHINE.

(No Mod-Bl.) (Application filed. May 8, 1900.\ 2 shaets sheet 2.

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' the smallest in the last of the screens.

with tarts a rnnar triers.

SMITH MCGARVIN, OF FRESNO, CALIFORNIA.

FUIT GRADHNG MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 672,453, dated April23, 1901..

Application filed May 3, 1900. Serial No. 15,354. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may 0072007 72:

Beit known that I, SMITH MOGARVIN, a citizen of the United States,residing at Fresno, county of Fresno, State of California,have inventedan Improvement in Fruit-Grading Machines; and I hereby declare thefollowing to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same.

My invention relates to a machine whichis especially designed forgrading fruit and separating it into different sizes for market or forother purposes.

It consists of a framework with inclined elastic arms by which it issupported and means by which a reciprocation is produced which causes atossing and forward action of fruit which is placed upon screenscontained within the framework. These screens are inclined and succeedeach other in series, the largest openings being made in the first andBeneath each of the screens is a close receivingplate, upon which thefruit passing through the screen is received and upon which it istransmitted to the next succeeding screen. In conjunction with thesescreens are discharge devices, upon which the fruit retained upon eachscreen is eventually delivered and discharged.

My invention also comprises details of construction, which will be morefully explained by reference to the accompanying drawings, in whichFigure l is a sectional elevation of my machine. Fig. 2 is a plan. Fig.3is an enlarged portion of a longitudinal elevation, showing amodification. Fig. 4 is a transverse view of the same. Fig. 5 is adetail of a hopper de signed for use in hand-machines. Fig. 6 representsa transverse chute designed for use in a power-machine.

In the construction of fruit-grading machines it has been customary toso arrange the screens that the smallest fruit only may pass through thefirst screen, and the larger sizes pass successively through screenshaving larger openings until the largest fruit is finally disposed of atthe end of the apparatus.

It is the object of my invention to separate the larger fruit from thesmaller at the first part of the operation and the next size in thesecond part and so on, carrying only the smaller fruit to the end of theapparatus. This I eifect by means of a series of screens 2, 3, and4,.mounted in a frame A at a suitable inclination. The frame A issupported upon elastic arms. 5, which are fixed upon each side andincline at a considerable angle, as shown, the lower ends being fixed toa stationary supporting-frame 6.

7 is a shaft extending across the machine near one end and having cranksor eccentrics,

and by means of connecting-rods 8 between saidcranks or eccentrics andthe frame A the latter is reciprocated whenever the shaft is rotated.This reciprocation, in conjunction with the inclined springs 5, causes aforward-and-upward motion of the frame A and the screens carried by it,and its return movement is a backward and downward one. The result ofthis movement is that any fruit carried upon the screens or any of thesupporting-surfaces in the frame A will be thrown upward and forward ateach impulse, while the fruit will not be returned by the backwardmovement of the surfaces on account of the angle of the supporting armsor springs, which causes the surfaces to be withdrawn, the inertia ofthe fruit maintaining it in its position, so that it is really advancedup the inclined screens 2 3 4t and the connectingsurfaces by eachreciprocation.

The screen 2 is made of such size that all fruit but the very largestwill pass through the perforations of the screen. Beneath this screen isa close surface 9, which receives all the fruit thus passing through,and the continued reciprocations of the frame, as previously described,will advance this fruit, as well as that upon the screen 2 above, towardthe upper end. The screen 3 is in direct continuation with the surface9, so that the fruit passes from this surface directly upon the screen3, and there all fruit, except the largest remaining, will pass throughand fall upon a second inclined floor lO, located beneath the screen 3.From this surface the fruit again passes forward upon the screen 4,

which is a continuation of the surface 10, and this having again smalleropenings will retain upon its surface the nextlarger grade of fruit,allowing the smaller to pass through. There may be as many of thesecontinued surfaces and screens as Will be necessary to provide for thedesired separation of sizes.

The upper end of each of the screens 2, 3, and 4 delivers into transferor carrying deside and deliver it into properly-placed boxes.

vices, which serve to remove the fruit to one i I have here shown twomethods for this trans- In small hand-machines I have shown through theclosed bottom just beneath and deliver the fruit into transverse chutesor into boxes which are supported upon guide-rails 13, so that they canbe pushed beneath the hoppers, and as fast as one is filled it is movedalong and another one substituted for it.

The second method, which is used in what are known as power-machines,consists of transverse chutes 14, having the side adjacent to the screencut away, so that the upper end of the screen will overlap and deliverinto this chute. The opposite side and the rear end are sufficientlyhigh to-prevent any escape of fruit in this direction. These chutes aresupported upon angularly-placed arms 15, the lower ends of which areconnected with a longitudinally-disposed shaft 16, suitably journaledbeneath the screen-frame.

17 is a longitudinally-disposed rod connecting with some portion of theapparatus by which a reciprocating motion is produced,

and this rod connects with the bell-crank lever 18, the angle of whichis fulcrnmed. 1 From the other arm of the lever a rod 19 extends andconnects with one of the diagonally-supporting arms 15 of the chutes 14.By this construction it will be seen that the reciprocations of thescreens and the surfaces below will separate out the fruit into itsdifferent sizes, and fruit thus separated will be advanced to the upperend of the respective screens and deliveredinto the chutes 14. Thelongitudinal reciprocation of the rod 17 is g transformed by thebell-crank lever into a transverse reciprocation and tossing move-' mentof the chute 14, which thus serves to gradually advance the fruitdelivered into; these chutes and deliver it into boxes which I chutes.The fruit is first delivered upon the are placed beneath the open mouthsof the allow dirt, sticks, and small trash to escape,

but will retain all the fruit, and the fruit after this preliminaryclea'ning passes upon the first screen, where, as before stated, thelarger fruit isseparated from all the rest and at once removed at theend of the screen. The advantage of this is that the smaller fruit willall find its way through the holes of this screen and will not ride uponthe surface of the larger fruit, which would prevent a completeseparation. In each successive screening the same advantage is observed,the result being, first, that the larger and better fruit is disposed ofwithout being obliged to pass through a long series of screens and besubject to bruising or other unfavorable action which might occnr,andexperience has shown that the weight of the fruit thus disposed of inthe upper part of the apparatus gives greater capacity and more rapidgrading.

Having thus described my invention,what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination in a fruit-grader, of a frame in which are arrangedinclined screens in parallel planes, an imperfora'ted'co'nveyer beneath,and parallel to, each screen and in the same plane with and a part ofthe succeeding screen, and means for horizontally reciprocating theframe and projecting the fruit through the machine contrary to the forceof gravity.

2. The combination in a fruit-grader, of inclined parallel screens,horizontally disposed and with the openings in the mesh of the screensdiminishing in succeeding screens, each screen having an imper'foratedfeedboard in the same plane with it, and of which board this screen is acontinuation, said'feedboards extending beneath and parallel to animmediately-preceding screen, and means for reciprocating these screensand feedboards in unison whereby the fruit is projected through themachine cont'rary'to the force of gravity.

3. In a fruit-grader, the combination of a series of inclined parallelscreens of varying mesh, each screen having an imperforated feed-boardintegral and in the same plane with it, which feed-board receives thefruit through the screen immediately above it, means at the end of eachscreen whereby the varying grades of fruit segregated are discharged,and means for reciprocating these screens and their feed-boards, and thedischarge-outlet horizontally and in unison, and projecting the fruitthrough the machine in 1. a direction contrary to the force of gravity.

4. In a fruit-grader, the combination of a longitudinal frame havingfixed therein inclined parallel screens, the mesh reducing in size fromthe first to the last screen,the screens having imperforated,similarly-inclined surfaces beneath upon which the fruit is received,said surfaces being continuous with and part of the next succeedingscreen, means for horizontally reciprocating this frame and carrychutesare mounted, and means by which ing the fruit upon the screens andimperfothese chutes are reciprocated. I0 rated surfaces through themachine in up- In Witness whereof I have hereunto set my hill direction,a transverse discharge-chute hand.

at the end of each screen iand above the im- SMITH MGGARVIN. perforatedsurface and respective screen be- Witnesses:

neath, a longitudinal shaft having vertically- HERBERT F. BRIGGS,

disposed arms upon which these transverse C. W. LUOKETT.

